The prevalence of CSID in other North American and European populations has been estimated to be lower than in these groups, approximately 1 in 500 to 1 in 2,000 among non-Hispanic whites. This translates to a prevalence of approximately 0.05% to 0.2%. The prevalence is thought to be even lower in African-Americans and whites of Hispanic descent.1
It is possible that a significant proportion of children and adults affected with CSID are not being tested for CSID, and therefore are not being properly diagnosed or adequately treated. Because the gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms associated with CSID are similar to many other GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or toddler’s diarrhea, some researchers believe that many of those who are diagnosed with IBS may actually have undiagnosed CSID.